THE WEEK'S WAR.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16210, 13 May 1918, Page 6

THE WEEK'S WAR.

GREATEST BATTLE COMING

ENEMY'S SERIOUS JILEMMA,

(PRKSS ASSOCIATION" !TS£GIUVt.)

WELLINGTON May 12. The following telograp'dc review of military operations has boa received by the Governor-General froj tho Secie. tary of Stato for tho Coloiies:—

Operations on the Westen front duN ing tho week ending Maj 9th.—Since tho enemy's drastic rcpulsi on the Lys soctor on April 29th, only liinor operations have been carried ou, mainly before Locre, westward of Sorlaincourt, and in the southward arm jf the Ypres salient. All attacks wdo repulsed heavily. Otherwise, apar from raids and local shelling in tho hack areas, tile week has been quiot.

Tho position now is that "Jio Germans arc determined to concentrate every available unit on ono enomious offensive, and are draining tho wnintry dry to force a decision before it is too lato, while tho Kntonte are sc confident, that, having been Riven thochoico of a small immediate American army for dofonco or waiting till they art reinforced by a complete, powerful, self-supporting American army, they have chosen the latter. The sledge-hammer uses of masses by tho enemy, the Alios are onposing bv the strategy of ileeting the blow with the smallest i'orco capable of standing up to tho shock, wlilo koepinc tho strongest reserve possible. Th o troops on the wing's are pa-mitted to ■ give ground within limits whenever the enemy has been made to paj a greater price than the ground is worth, the whole aim being to reduco the enemy to such exhaustion that tho reserve at the right moment can restore the situation . In tho present operations the British have played the part on th# wings, and withstood many times their own weight of enemy masses, and retired slowly, tho fullest price. Meanwhile General Foch holds the hulk of tho French in reserve, sending unita only to points hard pressed, i This strategy has been justified, inthatthm weeks have seen the enemy brought to a -standstill without a singly straegio objective being fulfilled, and his losses being .so immense that his reserve is in danger of proving inadequate to carrv out his policy. Tho German fommanj. or, seeing how nearly ho is delivering himself to the Allied" reserve, has been compelled to accept temporary failure and call a halt. His -position,"is tactic, ally exposed in two dangerous salients on waterlogged ground. His country, men aro dangerously dissatisfied at the immense price paid for tho failure to terminate their sufferings. His Allies are on tho verge of quarrelling daily, and exhibit their growing ditlike and distrust of their taskmaster, who robs them of their lives and food.! His reservos are nearing complete exhaustion. Those of the Franco-British are still in being, while tho American preparations develop, and the timo dravs closer when defeat will he inevitable. Therefore he must renew tho offensive. His preparations proceed feverishly, but db I it takes months to properly organise <' such an offensive, ho must W satisfied with what ho can do in weeks. Wo may therefore expect a ronewed furious 'onslaught before long. As is so committed to la's strategcal plan,. wo may await his main blov on the Arras-Amiens front, wliilo, necessity compels him to try to improve his position in the Lys sector. The Allies may have complete confidence in the result. For the tnomy the issue is a detenerate endeavour to avoid ; defeat, nnd for the Allies tho issue.U only that of victory deferred, j The cortt- i ing battle may be a repetition of Verdun on a larger scale, and if froth sides." be exhausted, the Allies h&vo powers of recuperation, while lias drained her resources already.